Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) has urged the Election Commission to reschedule the August 23 bypolls in Goa as they are taking place two days ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi festival. The HJS leaders met the election officials here this morning and requested them to rework the dates for Panaji and Valpoi bypolls, saying “Hindu community is not happy with the August 23 schedule”.
The byelections were necessitated following the resignations of BJP’s sitting MLA Siddharth Kuncolienkar and Congress’ Vishwajeet Rane, from Panaji and Valpoi seats, respectively. Goa Chief Minister and BJP stalwart Manohar Parrikar is the party candidate for Panaji seat.
“It is stated in the representation that Ganesh Chaturthi is very dear to Hindus. It is the topic of faith for them and in Goa in particular, it’s a festival that is celebrated with great faith and enthusiasm,” HJS’s Goa convenor Manoj Solanki said in a statement. However, HJS didn’t mention the dates when it wanted the elections to be held.
Hindu Janajagruti Samiti cited the examples of rescheduling of Panchayat elections in Goa in June this year and of polls in West Bengal due to Ramazan in the past. “The Panchyat elections were scheduled on June 25 this year, but due to ‘Sao Joao’, the Christian festival, they were held on June 17. There are also examples of changing the dates of elections due to Muslim festival of Ramzan in West Bengal,” it said.
Source : Press Release by HJS
